British Forces

Flying over Cairo

Imperial War Museum

This passenger transport aircraft camouflaged with the war colors, flying over Cairo during the approach at Heliopolis, end 1941 or 1942, is the BOAC’s Lockheed Lodestar, G-AGCM "Lake Maryut”. The BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) purchased nine Lockheed Model 18-07 Lodestar which was delivered new, but the pictured aircraft is one of two built in 1940 for Catalina Air Transport of Long Beach, California. On July 25, 1941 it was impressed by the USAAF as a C-56C serial 42-53503 and in September 1941 it was transferred to the RAF as a Lodestar Mk. I serial AX759, After few days, on 29 September 1941, the aircraft was assigned to BOAC with the civil registration G-AGCM, named “Lake Maryut”, for personnel transport in Middle East, North Africa and Mediterranean. After the war, October 2, 1946, the civil registration was cancelled and the aircraft returned to the RAF under the new serial VR955. It was withdrawn from use on April 30, 1947 and perhaps was phased out after this date. Victor Sierra